Quick Summary:
- Give your permanent home billing address, even if you switch hotels.
- Provide the first-night hotel address only if asked for local contact.
- Use your mobile number as primary contact, plus hotel phone if useful.
- Update the desk only when delivery, tolls, or paperwork needs a fixed address.
Changing hotels is normal in New York, you might split time between Midtown, Downtown, Brooklyn, or even across the river in New Jersey. At car hire pick-up, though, rental desks are not trying to track your entire itinerary. They want the right address in the right field, so they can validate your identity, run payment checks, and know how to reach you if something urgent happens.
The confusion usually comes from the word “address” being used for several different purposes: your billing address, your residential address, a local contact address, or a delivery address. When you change hotels, only one of those might change, and in many cases none of them should change at all.
This guide explains which address to give, why it matters, and when you should update it. The goal is to avoid delays at the counter, especially when you are picking up after a flight or during busy periods at major hubs like JFK or Newark.
Why the desk asks for an address in the first place
Most car hire desks ask for an address for three practical reasons: identity verification, payment verification, and contactability. The address may appear on your driving licence, on your card statement, or on the booking details. If those pieces of information conflict, a desk agent might need extra time to confirm you are the authorised renter.
In New York, this can be particularly important because pick-up locations see a high volume of international travellers. Agents are trained to look for consistency between documents and the booking. That does not mean you need to list every hotel you will stay in. It means you should supply a stable, verifiable address where asked, and a reachable contact method for the trip.
If you are collecting at an airport, the priority is speed and accuracy. For example, travellers collecting from car rental at New York JFK often find that having consistent details across passport, licence, and payment card reduces questions at the counter.
The three addresses that get mixed up
1) Billing address
This is the address tied to your payment card, and often the same as your home address. It is used for fraud prevention and for the payment authorisation process. It should not change just because your hotel changes.
2) Residential address (licence address)
This is the address printed on your driving licence, or your official home address if your licence does not show one. Again, it should not change because you are moving between hotels.
3) Local address or contact address
This is the one that causes confusion. Some desks ask, “Where are you staying?” because it helps if they need to contact you about property left in the car, an unpaid toll, or an admin issue. In that case, a hotel address is acceptable, but it is usually not required to match your licence.
When you are changing hotels, the simplest approach is to provide the first-night hotel address if the agent insists on a local address, and to give your mobile number as the primary method of contact. A hotel address is less useful than a working phone number, because you might check out before anyone can reach you at the front desk.
So, which hotel address should you give if you change hotels?
In most situations, you should give your permanent home address for the “address” field on the booking and at the desk, because that is what supports identity and payment checks. If the agent separately asks for where you are staying in New York, give the address for the hotel you will be at immediately after pick-up, which is usually your first night.
Why the first night? Because it is the only hotel that is guaranteed to be relevant right after you drive away. If there is an immediate issue, such as a document question, a lost item report, or a same-day adjustment, the first-night property is at least time-relevant. If your itinerary is uncertain, say so and provide a stable contact number instead.
If you are doing a multi-stop trip, such as two nights in Manhattan and then a week upstate, you do not need to list every stop. Car hire desks rarely record a full itinerary, and giving multiple addresses can create data entry errors. Keep it simple: home billing address for verification, and a single local address only if requested.
What typically matters most at pick-up in New York
Matching documents matters more than the hotel. If your booking name matches your driving licence and payment card, and your billing address is consistent, you are far less likely to be held up.
Your contact number often matters more than any local address. If your phone will work in the US, make sure the desk has it. If you will switch SIMs on arrival, be ready to provide the new number, or ensure your existing number can receive calls or texts.
Airport pick-ups are stricter on details because of volume and security processes. Whether you are collecting at JFK or across the river at Newark, agents may follow tighter scripts during peak hours. If you are flying into New Jersey and picking up there, details are similar at car hire at Newark EWR, where travellers often arrive after long-haul flights and benefit from having addresses and licence details ready.
When you should update your address with the rental company
Most of the time, you do not need to update anything when you change hotels. However, you should inform the provider in these scenarios:
Vehicle delivery or hotel pick-up service, if the car is being delivered to you or collected from you. In that case, the address is operational, and must be accurate for the time window.
Long rentals with mailed paperwork, which is uncommon for short leisure hires but can happen for corporate arrangements. If anything will be posted, you need a stable address that can receive mail, usually your home address, not a hotel.
Local driving violations or toll programmes can generate notices later. This is another reason your permanent address and email should be correct. Your hotel address will not help once you have checked out.
Insurance documentation, if you are relying on third-party cover that requires a specific registered address. In that case, you should use the address associated with the policy documents, typically your home address.
What to say at the counter to avoid delays
If you sense confusion, use clear wording that maps to what the agent needs:
For billing and identity: “My billing and home address is [your permanent address], that matches my card and licence.”
For local contact: “My first-night hotel is [hotel name and address]. I may change hotels after that. My best contact is my mobile number.”
This approach reduces the chance the agent enters a hotel address into a field that should contain your billing address. It also reduces the chance you later find a mismatch between your booking details and your card issuer’s data.
Special cases: one-way rentals and crossing into New Jersey
New York trips often involve New Jersey airports, especially Newark, and sometimes one-way rentals. If you are picking up in New Jersey and staying in New York City, the “local address” question may come up more often. Stick to the same logic: permanent billing address for verification, first-night hotel as a local point of reference if requested.
If you are travelling with a larger group and have a bigger vehicle, the desk process is still the same, but you may have extra paperwork for the vehicle class. If you are comparing options at van rental in New Jersey EWR, keep your address details consistent across all drivers to avoid delays when adding additional authorised drivers.
Similarly, if you are hiring with a specific supplier, the steps rarely change, but desk scripts can vary slightly. For instance, if you plan to hire through Alamo at New Jersey EWR, you may be asked for a local contact number and address as part of routine data capture. Treat that as “how can we reach you” rather than “prove where you live”.
What not to do when you have multiple hotels
Do not list a hotel as your billing address. If the address on your card is different, you risk triggering additional verification questions.
Do not provide a “best guess” future hotel address. If your itinerary changes, that address becomes meaningless and can confuse any follow-up contact.
Do not over-explain at the desk. A long itinerary can lead to mistakes in the booking record. Keep answers short and factual: permanent address for billing, first-night hotel for local contact if needed, and a working phone number.
Do not forget postcode formats. UK and some other international postcodes differ from US ZIP codes. Use your real home postcode exactly as on your statements, and use the correct US ZIP code if entering a New York hotel address.
Pre-arrival checklist for smoother New York pick-up
Before you land, confirm the following in your booking and documents:
1) Your permanent address is correct in the main address field, especially if you recently moved.
2) Your card billing address matches what your bank has on file, including flat numbers and abbreviations.
3) Your first-night hotel details are accessible on your phone, in case you are asked for a local contact address.
4) Your phone will work on arrival, roaming enabled or US SIM ready, and voicemail set up if possible.
5) Your email is current, as that is where tolls or receipts may be sent later.
Doing this is particularly helpful when collecting from busy locations such as car hire at New York JFK, where queues can build quickly and any inconsistency can slow processing.
FAQ
Q: If I change hotels, do I need to update my address on the car hire booking?
A: Usually no. Keep your permanent home or billing address on the booking, and only provide a hotel address if the desk asks for a local contact.
Q: Should I give the first-night hotel address or the last-night hotel address?
A: If a local address is requested, give the first-night hotel or where you will be immediately after pick-up. It is the most relevant if the desk needs to reach you quickly.
Q: What if I have not booked my hotel yet?
A: Use your permanent billing address for the booking. At pick-up, explain you do not have a fixed hotel and provide a working mobile number as your primary contact.
Q: Will the desk reject me if my hotel address differs from my driving licence address?
A: A different hotel address is normal and should not be an issue. Problems usually arise when the billing or residential address does not align with your payment and identification details.
Q: Do I need to provide a New York address if I am picking up in Newark?
A: Not always. Some desks ask for a local contact address, so your first-night New York hotel can work, but your permanent billing address remains the key information.
